The World Before Order
by Mysteryguy12
Summary: Yamamoto has been there from the very beginning, before Soul Society ever existed. He witnessed the chaos of the ancient world and brought the greatest spirits of that age under his command. This is his story of the world before order.
1. Chapter 1

I've been in a Bleach mood lately. And I was rereading old bleach volumes and just got to the part where Yamamoto-Genryuusai Shigekuni faces off against Shinsui and Ukitake. God that was badass. I wish it had been shown more in depth. I noticed though that they called his zanpakutou the most terrible, the oldest and greatest of them all, so I decided to do a small fiction, probably no more than two or three longish chapters about how Shigekuni came to be in control of the oldest and greatest of zanpakutou. I sort of expanded that idea a bit and created a fiction about where zanpakutou and everything even came from…sort of a history of the world before soul society and shinigami and zanpakutou, or, a world before order. So check it out, I hope you enjoy it.

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The World Before Order

Chapter 1

A long time ago, long before soul society became what it is today, the world was in chaos. The lives of humans were subject to the vast number of spirits that roamed the world in those days. They lived their lives in fear of the overwhelming power of these spirits. Some tried to fight back, but were always struck down and consumed. Back then, there was no afterlife, no Soul Society, no Hueco Mundo, the world was one.

And it was in chaos.

This is not to say that there was some semblance of order in this singular world of man and spirit. Though the world was constantly embroiled in a state of ever-lasting war, over time, a sort of balance began to appear. The war we speak of is not the sort that humans wage in today's time, but that of spirits. The spirits needn't concern themselves with things like fame, prestige, or monetary gains. To the spirits of that age, power and the will to survive was all that mattered.

So in order to bespeak their power to the rest of world's spirits, four great spirits rose from the chaos to proclaim superiority over the rest. It is no small coincidence that each one of these great spirits seemed to represent one of the world's major elements. Indeed, it seemed that the world itself, in a desperate hope to preserve itself, gifted each of these spirits with a great power to rule over the lesser spirits.

So a precarious balance came into place in this world of old. With the spirits of fire, water, earth, and wind each presiding over their great territories, the lesser spirits were unable to act too outrageously, lest they catch the eye of these great spirits and bring their wrath upon themselves. As for the greater spirits themselves, they could no longer do battle with one another. The moment two began to fight; the others would surely come and destroy the exhausted victor.

And for a time, this balance worked.

It was the realm of fire where the first seeds of unrest began to grow. The great spirit of fire, like the spirit of water, was an enormous and powerful dragon. When he spread his wings, it seemed as though the sun was rising twice over. His scales shimmered and flashed like fire. When he spoke, his voice sounded like flowing magma, and when he roared, he sounded like a great eruption.

Of all the great spirits, this powerful dragon was the cruelest and most arrogant. The spirits in his realm were displeased with the nature of their great spirit and took their displeasure out on the humans that lived there. Over time, the population of humans began to thin in the fire realm. They began to live their lives in hiding as best they could, training themselves to combat the lesser spirits and protect their hidden villages.

Within a few generations, it became clear that the humans of the fire realm were the strongest of all humans in the world. Though none of them stood a chance against anything more than the weakest tier of spirits, this was an evolution no human or spirit ever would have expected.

At the same time as the fire realm humans began to train themselves, another trouble was beginning to brew in this corner of the world. A spirit had appeared and, in the absence of human meat to consume, had turned its fierce talons on other spirits. It became apparent, however, that this particular spirit was different than the others. Its body seemed to be made entirely of fire and took the shape of a predatory bird. It began as a small thing, only the height of a man, but within months stood taller than the mountains in which it had grown.

The great dragon that ruled the fire realm was not blind to these activities. He saw the growing fire bird, but paid it no mind. His thoughts were turned ever outwards, toward the rest of the world where the other three greater spirits stood in their endless stalemate.

So the great bird continued to consume spirits and grow in size. In a year, thousands of spirits had been devoured by the great bird. The humans in the hidden village had watched this development carefully, wondering what it might portend. It was they who named the spirit.

"Kiko Oh, the Firebird King."

Two men sat, legs crossed, atop a great peak, watching the vast firebird soar across the sky. Where it flew, a trail of shimmering heat was left. The two men's eyes followed the magnificent bird without wavering in spite of the overwhelming brightness. The enormous bird flapped its wings, scorching the rocks beneath it, and disappeared behind the distant mountain range.

The two men looked on in silence for a while longer before one of them sighed. Both of the men were bald, though the one who sighed was a good deal older and the style wouldn't have needed to be by choice. Deep wrinkles set all over his aged face. His eyebrows and long and white, and a long white beard is bound by a leather strap as it falls down into his lap. His features may have once been handsome and sharp, but years seemed to have put in their place an enormous exhaustion.

Looking at the younger man, it is apparent that the older man must once have been handsome. The younger of the two has the same shape, the same sharpness, but none of the tiredness. He too has a beard, though it only extends slightly from his powerful jaw line. His eyes are deep-set and are sharp, like the old man's must have once been before the years had caused them to lose their shine.

Neither of the men wears a shirt. Powerful muscles are visible, gleaming with sweat from the fire realm's constant heat. The older man's body is covered almost head to toe in a criss-cross pattern of scars and burns. Only his face and head are free from the wounds, covered instead in wrinkles. The younger man is as heavily muscled as his partner, if not more so, his body still in its prime. Unlike the older man, his body is not nearly as marked with old wounds and scars.

The old man sighs again and reaches for a wooden staff, planting it firmly on the stone beside him and pulling himself to his feet. He moves slowly, every one of his years apparent in his grimacing face. When he finally reaches his feet, he sways slightly, any youth that had been apparent while he sat, now gone entirely.

The younger man stands as well, moving slowly as well but not due to any strain. His movements are graceful and full of purpose. He reaches out a calloused hand and steadies the older man. After a moment, the elder nods and he removes his steadying hand.

"Are you sure you can climb further, grandfather?" the younger man asks, not pitying, but politely concerned.

The older man thinks for a moment and nods. "Yes, little Shigekuni. These old bones of mine know where they should rest." He smiles a bittersweet smile. "They'll be able to make it that far."

"Then we should continue," Shigekuni says. His voice is firm but respectful. The old man smiles when he hears him.

"Indeed."

The two walk to the edge of their alcove in the mountainside and slip back out onto the mountain path. They had been traveling for four days now and the higher they went, the greater the heat became. They both knew what awaited them at the top of the mountain, though they didn't know what the outcome would be.

For Shigekuni, the mountain path was easy to traverse. His entire life had been nothing but training. His muscular body was limber and flexible and able to withstand great heat. The treacherous path is no issue for his trained body. He glances back at his grandfather to see if he can keep pace on the dangerous path.

The old man smiles and pats Shigekuni on the shoulder and steps past him. Shigekuni grins at his grandfather's youthfulness. He knows it will not last. Despite his muscular appearance, the only thing keeping the old man going now is his undying spirit and responsibility toward Shigekuni. He wouldn't be returning back down the mountain.

For that matter, Shigekuni might not either.

It didn't matter though. This journey was of the utmost importance; far more important than just the lives him and his grandfather. Shigekuni did not deny the possibility of his own death; he simply accepted it and continued to climb the mountain, following his grandfather closely, should his youthful appearance choose to desert him.

They climbed for hours, the heat surrounding them growing harsher and more difficult to stand with every step. Shigekuni could see his grandfather perspiring before him in more ways than one. His body, as aged as it seemed before, was rapidly becoming more so as they climbed.

He is literally approaching his own death, Shigekuni thought.

At last, the old man seems to stumble. Shigekuni reaches out, but his grandfather waves him off, catching himself and leaning on his staff while breathing heavily. Shigekuni remains silent as he watches his grandfather take a few steps forward and turn to enter another alcove in the mountainside. Shigekuni follows him, waiting patiently as his grandfather sits down and sets his staff down in front of him.

Shigekuni looks around. This alcove is different than the others they had stopped at on their way up the mountain. It was cool inside and the walls seemed to be smoother, as though they had been cut away instead of being slowly hollowed out by the forces of nature. The floor was unbelievably smooth, almost completely flat. For a moment, Shigekuni thinks he sees something behind his grandfather.

"Sit down, Shigekuni."

His grandfather interrupts his thoughts and Shigekuni nods, sitting down in front of his grandfather. He looks different now. Shigekuni inspects his grandfather closely. His muscles seem to have disappeared into nothing but hanging skin and his scars are almost indeterminable from his wrinkles. He sits, hunched over, breathing heavily. He had always looked ancient to Shigekuni; but for the first time in his life, the man looked _old_.

"This is as far as I'll be going, Shigekuni."

He nods. It was no surprise. He had told everyone in the village that it was time for him to pass. He would climb the mountain and there, he would die.

"Do you know why we stopped to observe Kiko Oh, earlier?"

Shigekuni shakes his head.

"I don't have much longer to live, but I think my body will give me enough time to explain this to you, Shigekuni," the old man says with a sad smile.

"The world is at its wits end," he says, his voice changing. "The spirits it gifted with power have grown too great to handle. The balance between the four great spirits is a tenuous one that will never last. The world gave power to those four spirits because it wanted them to maintain a balance…but it realizes now that it made a mistake." He looks at Shigekuni, his eyes hard, like they once were in his youth. "That is why the Kiko Oh was born.

"The firebird was formed as a final attempt to reach a balance in this world. A mighty bird of fire that will consume everything and restart it all anew. But the world doesn't want to do this. It wants to reach a balance without such a great tragedy. That is why we have been given the power we have, Shigekuni. The power to listen to the world, to sense the balance inherent in everything. We have the power to see what the world cannot see.

"Shigekuni," the old man says slowly. "What did you see, when you looked at the Kiko Oh?" Shigekuni looks at his grandfather for a moment. He thinks back to the morning when he looked out over the great bird's flight. The way the bird wheeled around in the sky, flying blazing circles in the morning air.

"A cycle," Shigekuni says firmly. "The Kiko Oh will change nothing. It will only begin the cycle over, repeating endlessly."

His grandfather nods approvingly. "Very good Shigekuni. I knew you would understand." He smiles. "So if the Kiko Oh cannot help the world preserve the ultimate balance, it is left to us, the humans to provide some semblance of order to this world."

His grandfather stands, not reaching for his staff, but reaching his feet without any help. He steps to the side and reveals a large sword. It is thrust into the earth behind him, standing proudly in the center of the alcove. The metal looks strong, unbreakable even, and the hilt is a simple oval shape, unremarkable in contrast to the blade's magnificence. It is an unyielding blade, one that would strike down any threat without hesitation.

"This…" Shigekuni begins.

Without warning, his grandfather's knees buckle and he falls to the floor. He makes no attempt to catch himself as he falls, but simply lands softly on the cool, smooth stone. Shigekuni shouts in alarm but his grandfather waves a hand weakly.

"You can see it, Shigekuni…" he says feebly, his voice barely above a whisper. "The future rests in this blade. And now that you know that…" his voice begins to slow. "I can finally rest." A smile splits across his wrinkled face. "The rest is up to you, Shigekuni. Find…a way to preserve…the balance. The world…can't do it…alone." His eyes closed. Shigekuni knew they would never open again.

"I'm proud of you."

"I'm proud of you too, grandfather."

Shigekuni closed his eyes for a moment, his heart heavy with the passing of his closest relative. He had known for months that this day would come, but it still hurt to see him lying there. His life had been filled with the greatest of honors. Shigekuni silently sent a prayer for his grandfather.

When he opened his eyes again, they were hard and sharp. He stood and stepped up to the blade in front of him. The blade was a promise to the future to uphold balance. He wondered briefly if he would be able to wield it properly. After a moment, he reached out, his calloused hands gripping the hilt and pulling it from the smooth stone.

It was warm to the touch. In an instant he knew the history of the blade, and of all that had come before him. The information flowed into him from the blade, filling him with the knowledge he needed. An ancient relative had crafted it hundreds of years ago and cut this cave out of the mountainside with it. It had been placed it here on the top of the great fire dragon's mountain. For centuries it had absorbed the heat and power that ran off the great dragon like rain.

This blade was not meant to kill the great dragon, Shigekuni recognized. That was never his ancestor's intention. Quite to the contrary, this sword was meant to amplify the dragon's power…but also to contain it so that humans could use it. If somehow, one could convince the great dragon to join with the blade…the immense power one could wield was staggering.

In the wrong hands, this blade could bring ruin to the balance of the world, Shigekuni thought to himself. But in his hands…in his hands it could bring order and balance to the world for all of eternity.

Taking one last look at the peaceful form of his grandfather, he reached down to grab the staff the old man had dropped and turned, walking solemnly out of the alcove. His grandfather had said he was proud of him, but he had done nothing to be proud of yet. He gripped the blade strongly. His journey lay in front of him. Somehow he knew, confronting the great dragon, Ryūjin, would be the first of many obstacles before he could truly achieve balance. The following months would prove whether he was something to be proud of or not.


	2. Chapter 2

The World Before Order

The World Before Order

Chapter 2

Yamamoto Shigekuni was born in the realm of fire. Due to the haughty nature of the realm's ruler, the great fire spirit Ryūjin, the spirits of the realm were overlooked and allowed to act without laws or order. It was not so much that Ryūjin was a lawless spirit by nature, on the contrary, the great dragon held great import in the nature of balance and order; but the great fire spirit believed that the only order needed was the law of survival and strength.

Ryūjin was known throughout the entire world for being the strongest of the four great spirits. The other three knew that if any one of them were to face him, they would probably lose. It was the aftermath of the battle that kept Ryūjin from seeking anything more than the power he had at that very moment. If he were to do battle with any of the other great spirits, he would sustain some damage and put him at the mercy of the other two.

But his belief in strength had led the spirits in his realm to live with reckless abandon, hunting humans whenever they pleased. Over time, the humans were forced into hiding, creating hidden villages and training warriors to protect them. It was in one of these villages that Yamamoto Shigekuni was born.

The village he was born into was the most secretive of all the hidden villages. It was a village renowned for having both the most powerful warriors, and the most spiritually aware members as well. While well known for their inhabitants, they kept their location a closely guarded secret. They had connections with the other villages in the realm of fire, assisting in the protection of one another. They did not accept requests from the other villages, however, but instead appeared without warning before a great battle and assisted the villages in need, and then disappeared, asking for nothing.

As the traditions of the village go, the moment Shigekuni was born, a torch and a bucket of ice-cold water were brought into the room. Each of his hands were taken by one of the elders and placed in one of the elements. His right hand felt the burning flame, while his left was thrust into the frozen water. Like all the other babies before him, Shigekuni yelled out when exposed to the harsh elements.

Unlike those who had come before him though, Shigekuni tore his hands away from the elders, whose grips were loose. He clasped his hands together, the heat of his right hand warming the freezing flesh of his left, and those same frozen fingers cooling the burnt skin of his right.

The meaning of the tradition is to teach balance to the new born child as soon as they enter the world. The body is the balance, existing between the extreme heat and cold. The hands are the extremities, representing the two sides that are at odds with one another.

It was Shigekuni's actions of taking the two extremities and putting them together to neutralize them and maintain balance that the elder's found so intriguing. From that day on, the village kept a close eye on the boy's performance and progress as he was taught the arts that the village excelled in.

As the elder's expected, Shigekuni proved to be exceptionally gifted both in combat and spiritual perception. His grandfather, the most gifted individual in their village at the time took him on personally and supplemented his regular training with special training of his own. Together, they would spend weeks in the mountains and wilderness, becoming one with the surrounding elements and honing their spiritual awareness.

It wasn't long before Shigekuni had surpassed his grandfather and everyone else in the village. He showed more promise than any individual they had ever encountered in the history of the village. His spiritual awareness and connection to the balance of the world was so great that he could sense tremors in the far off realms of water and wind. It was he who suggested to his grandfather that the balance was in danger.

It was that moment when his grandfather had begun to slow down. Unbeknownst to everyone else, his grandfather was well past his time on the planet. His body should have begun to deteriorate a number of years, but had persisted because there was no one to follow in his footsteps yet. He had been waiting for one gifted enough to take his place, and when his grandson had appeared and informed him of the shift in the great world balance, the dam that held back his true age began to crack.

From that moment on, his grandfather began to pass down all the secret knowledge of the village down to Shigekuni. He told him of the history of the world, of the other realms and their respective great spirits. He told him of all he knew about the world balance and how it had began to change. He kept from Shigekuni the existence of the sword his ancient ancestor had forged and left in the mountain where Ryūjin lived. That, he would show his grandson himself and entrust him with the future of their world and its balance.

That day had passed, and Shigekuni had taken the sword in his hand. Now he climbs higher up the mountain, the path left long behind. Before him, the sheer cliffs expand upwards into the dark grey clouds. Up there, the great spirit of fire, Ryūjin, resides, endlessly watching the other three realms from his perch.

The sun has set, but there is plenty of light this close to the great dragon's nest. Ryūjin's scales glow with the same light as the sun, and it pierces through the clouds surrounding the peak, lighting the path before Shigekuni. So he climbs, the sword and his father's staff tucked into his belt so as to leave his hands free for the challenging ascent. His trained muscles allow him to drag himself up where others might find it impossible to continue, and before long, his rough fingers clasp the stone at the very peak where the stone is flat and black, as though burned away.

He drags himself over the edge and wipes the sweat from his brow. Up here, the temperature would kill an ordinary man. Shigekuni grasps at the hilt of his sword. It feels warm to the touch. This heat would kill him as well, he realizes, if it weren't for this sword. It had spent centuries in that cave, absorbing the heat of Ryūjin and when Shigekuni had taken it, it had instilled in him, a heat of his own. Only with the protection of that sword, could Shigekuni stand against this terrible heat.

Through the shimmering heat, Shigekuni could see something moving. Before him, a fire raged. Wild flames danced and shimmered, casting bright reflections all across the mountain peak. The fire heaved and retracted, as though it were breathing. At that moment, Shigekuni realized that what he was watching was not actually a fire, but the immense body of Ryūjin himself.

The great spirit of fire sat atop the peak, his scales gleaming like a raging fire. His bright wings were tucked back over his spine and his long slender neck stretched upwards like a single great tongue of flame. His tail shifted slightly and as it moved, the stone where it touched hissed and turned black. Shigekuni turned his gaze upwards to the great spirit's face. It was long and fierce, its great teeth bared as it stared off in the directions of the other realms. Its eyes were a deep, severe red, like smoldering coals. The power that flows out from the great dragon is almost enough to make Shigekuni fall to his knees, but he grips his sword harder and steps forward.

"Ryūjin!" Shigekuni shouts.

"You needn't shout, human," Ryūjin replies instantly. "I know you're there." He does not turn to face Shigekuni, but continues to stare out over the horizon.

Shigekuni is taken back by this. He hadn't expected the dragon to notice him until he spoke. But it made sense. If he could watch the movements of the other great spirits in their far off realms, how could he miss a human climbing up his own mountain.

"I wish to speak with you!" Shigekuni says, his voice still loud.

"Would you hold negotiations with a brave ant?" Ryūjin's voice booms out over the mountaintop.

This was to be expected. Shigekuni knew that Ryūjin would brush him off. The great dragon felt it had greater things to deal with. Shigekuni could understand, but it was only because Ryūjin couldn't see what he could see.

"Perhaps if the brave ant had information worthy of my listening to," Shigekuni replies firmly. Though his voice is strong, his body feels weak. Standing before the presence of the great dragon is taking a toll on his body.

"No matter how well spoken an ant may be, an ant can not see beyond the realm of insects," Ryūjin says. "What could an ant see that my great eyes can not?"

"Bottom of your chin, or the top of your head, for example," Shigekuni responds. He is not mocking the dragon, merely trying to get his attention. It seems to work because Ryūjin's ears twitch. "And the ant can crawl inside the earth, listening to the pulse of life within it. The ant can watch a flower's roots take hold in the soil and soak up the water beneath.

"But I am no brave ant, Ryūjin," Shigekuni says firmly.

"I can see that," Ryūjin interrupts. Slowly, like flowing lave, his neck turns and his dark shimmering eyes turn down on Shigekuni. An intense wave of heat washes over the man, causing him to stumble back a step before catching his footing.

"You're a foolish human," Ryūjin says with malice in his voice.

Shigekuni can feel himself beginning to slip away under the forceful gaze of the great dragon. The edges of his vision begin to darken and turn black. The world seems to tilt slightly and he thinks he can feel himself falling. All of a sudden, there is a pulse in his hand and he is brought back into the world. The sword is now held in front of him, facing Ryūjin.

"Very foolish indeed…" the great dragon whispers. A bright red tongue slips between the dragon's sharp fangs. It flicks forward, hissing as it moves. It flashes before Shigekuni, but he does not move. The tongue draws back and disappears back into the fearsome mouth of the great dragon.

"I could kill you in an instant, foolish man," Ryūjin hisses.

"Perhaps," Shigekuni responds calmly. "But will you listen to what I have to say?"

Ryūjin pauses, seeming to mull the idea over. After a moment, a horrible smile slips across his wide face. "Listening to the affairs of human…what do you take me for, little man?"

Without any warning, Ryūjin's tail flashes out from behind him, wrapping around Shigekuni before he can react. The scales are sharp and they scorch as they cut his skin. Shigekuni lets out a sharp cry and strains to free himself to no avail. A red mist begins to rise up around him. It's his blood, he realizes. As he bled from the cuts, the heat from the scales was causing the blood to boil and evaporate.

He wondered on he had ever been able to stand the heat before.

"Oh?"

Ryūjin let's his tail unwrap from around the foolish little man. He crumples to the ground, black and red from burns and cuts. The dragon raises his tail to his face, inspecting the scales. They are unmarked, but one of the scales appears somehow duller than all the rest.

"What did you do, little man?" Ryūjin says curiously.

Shigekuni is breathing heavily, unsure how he's still alive. The sword in his hand pulses with energy, but it isn't enough. He hears the dragon's question, but is unable to respond. His body is covered all over with deep cuts and severe burns. He should be dead, he knows.

But it isn't his time yet.

Shakily, he stands, grabbing his grandfather's staff to support himself. He can feel some sort of energy flowing into him. It comes up from the ground where he laid moments ago, and from the air all around him. He soaks it in, absorbing it and regaining his strength. This isn't his own power at all.

This is the power of the world, telling him to stand and continue.

"I'm here to use your power, Ryūjin."

The dragon blinks. The human's words perplex him. It is not their meaning, but the very fact that he had spoken them at all that he struggles with.

"The balance of the world is beginning to give way."

"The balance?" Ryūjin scoffs. "What does a mortal like you know about the balance?" He rises up to his full height, spreading his wings and blotting out the night sky. Shigekuni slowly puts away his grandfather's staff and stands steadily on his own feet.

"I know that this balance is a precarious one that will not last. Another century, perhaps two, but it will crumble," he takes a step forward. "And when it does, the Kiko Oh will devour everything, even you and the other great spirits, reducing everything to ash and beginning anew."

"Reduce _me_ to ash?" Ryūjin repeats, incredulous. "That baby bird?"

"But this isn't what the world wants," Shigekuni continues boldly. "So it's giving us all one last chance to create a balance." He holds the sword forth, presenting it to the great dragon.

"Ryūjin," he begins, his body now overflowing with the power of the world. "Lend me your power and I will set this world to order for the rest of time."

"_Ridiculous_!" The great dragon leans forward, his serpentine neck slithering toward Shigekuni. His eyes are bright with rage. "You, a _mere_ _human_ tell me to lend _my_ power to you? You think that _you_ can set this world to order?" He laughs a deafening laugh that shakes the mountain. "Human, you presume too much!"

He darts forward, razor-sharp teeth glittering as he prepares to devour Shigekuni.

"Forgive my rudeness," Shigekuni whispers.

There is a crash as Ryūjin's great jaws clap together, taking a great chunk of stone out of the mountain. His sharp teeth gnash violently, cutting through the stone as it melts inside his mouth. Finally, when it was reduced to nothing more than melted stone, he swallows.

"I hope that you will listen to me now."

Ryūjin's eyes dilate with rage. The human had somehow evaded him. He looked all around the peak, his sharp talons gouging deep holes in the stone. He was nowhere to be found, though.

"Where have you gone, foolish man?!" the dragon bellows.

"A place where an ant can see, and you can not," Shigekuni says calmly, tapping his staff against the great dragon's brow where he sat.

"How could you possibly…" Ryūjin seethes.

"It is not my own power, but that of the world," Shigekuni replies honestly. "When my task is done, it will no doubt desert me and leave me no more than the human I was when I came here."

"What is your task?" Ryūjin grimaces.

"To make two things one, and make one thing four, and to make all things in balance," he says in a calm voice. "But let us start with the first task." He pulls the sword from his belt and tosses it off of the dragon's head. It lands with a metal _tang_ and sticks up, point first from the peak of the mountain.

"Lend me your power, Ryūjin. Inhabit this sword, and I will place a portion of myself within it as well. Together, we will make two things one, and stronger than either of them put together."

"You want me to inhabit this sword?" Ryūjin laughs, though this time there is some amusement in his voice. "Keh, if Hyōrinmaru could see me now…how he would mock me."

"There is no need to worry about the great spirit of water, Ryūjin," Shigekuni says with a smile. "Soon, he and all the other spirits of the world will live as you will, inside these swords, at peace with humans…at balance, with the world."

Ryūjin leans forward and places one of his claws on the sword that stands up from his great mountaintop. "To live at peace with humans…" Ryūjin chuckles.

"I must say, little human; if nothing else, you certainly do seem to balance out with me."

"Yamamoto," Shigekuni says. "Yamamoto-Genryuusai Shigekuni." He smiles. "And I would agree with you, we do strike a good balance, don't we?"


End file.
